Pop’s Officers

Last Saturday’s 100-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers gave Gregg Popovich his 700th victory, all with the Spurs. Popovich is the 16th coach to reach the milestone. He also has the third highest winning percentage of all coaches with a minimum of 500 games.

And while Pop will no doubt go down as one of the great coaches of all time, it’s the men behind him, his incredible coaching staffs, which have helped him reach this point in his career, and his assistants this year are no different. When Pop leads his team to the court, he’s like General George Patton, leading his men into the Battle of Normandy in World War Two. And just like Patton, Pop has his own Colonels and Brigadier Generals to follow him into battle each and every night.

Mike Budenholzer is Pop’s Lieutenant General and right hand man, yet this is his first year as the number one assistant. Budenholzer was hired in 1994, along with R.C. Buford, by Gregg Popovich after playing one season of professional basketball in Denmark. In his one season, Budenholzer averaged 27.5 points a game. He stood by Pop as the Spurs’ video coordinator.

One thing he brings to the team is trust. Budenholzer, along with Buford, have been with the spurs front office longer than anyone. When the Spurs take the floor, Pop knows he can trust Budenholzer to make the right decisions and execute the game plan properly. Budenholzer is also great in clutch situations. He has a wonderful knowledge of the game, and is able to perform in the most intense moments without crushing under the pressure. On the battlefield, there is no one that Pop trusts more.

The Colonel in Pop’s army is Don Newman. He brings over 20 years of coaching experience to Pop’s staff, and with his masters degree in education, knows how to teach and mentor young players. Newman’s understanding of the game and his ability to effectively train and instruct young players, has lead to the development of young players like Tony Parker and the more recent George Hill.